Mary "Pendergast" C. Real

"Belchertown- Mary Catherine Pendergast Real died after a brief decline in health on July 14, 2006. Born in Troy, NY February 24, 1917. Mary lived in Westfield, MA most of her life. She was the daughter of the late Mary (Walsh) and William Pendergast of Troy, NY. Mary graduated from Catholic Central High School in Troy in 1935, and from Albany Business College in Albany, NY in 1936. After graduating from Business College, she worked for Catholic Charities in Albany for 6 years. She married James T. Real of Green Island, NY in June of 1941, six months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Jim enlisted in the Navy Construction Battalion (the CB’s) early in 1942. He was stationed in Norfolk, VA, and Mary and their oldest son, Jimmie, lived with him in Virginia Beach until he was transferred to Okinawa, where he met up with his younger brother Leonard, who was in the Army Air Corps. After Jim was sent overseas, Mary worked at the Watervliet Arsenal for three years. Mary and her family lived in Troy until 1953, when she and her family moved to Westfield, MA. In 1965, she went to work in the office of the Superintendent of Schools for six years and lived in Westfield until 1998, when she moved to Belchertown. Mary was predeceased by her husband James Henry in October of 1996. She is survived by her four children, James of Hague, NY, Thomas and his wife Elaine of Leeds, AL, Mary Kay and her husband Larry Lacross of Springfield, VT, and Ellen and her husband David of Belchertown. Mary also leaves five grandchildren Katie Lambert and Alan Pinders of VT, Jamison Real of Duxbury, MA and Kevin and Grace Campbell of Belchertown along with three great grandchildren. Mary has one sister Margaret Conroy of Westfield, sister-in-law Marie Pendergast of Troy, NY, brother-in-law F. Leonard Real and his wife Mary of Green Island, NY, sister-in-law- Jean Real in Westerville, OH and several nieces and nephews. While living in Belchertown, Mary was a communicant of St. Francis of Assisi Parish. She was a member of the Perpetual Adoration Society and worked on the Christmas Bazaar Committee. She was also a member of the Belchertown Senior Citizen Assoc. While living in Westfield, she was a member of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, and a former officer of the Rosary Society. She and her daughter, Ellen, taught CCD to the First Holy Communion Class. She typed the Parish Bulletin for 25 years and was a member of the Auxiliary of the Sons of Erin Club in Westfield. She was also an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 10:00 a.m. from the Beers & Story Belchertown Funeral Home followed by a liturgy of Christian Burial at 11:00 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Belchertown. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Westfield, MA. Visitation will be held Wednesday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Belchertown Special Education Dept., P.O. Box 841, Belchertown, MA 01007. "